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Guest opinion: The facts on fracking

By Sam Schabacker

Posted:
01/05/2013 01:00:00 AM MST

As a native of Boulder County, and as the son of a man who worked in the oil and gas industry for 35 years, I feel compelled to respond to the hyperbole and melodrama of Encana Oil and Gas's Wendy Wiedenbeck's guest editorial ("Anti-fracking activism," Op/ed Dec. 29). And, as the Colorado director of the national group Food and Water Watch that Wiedenbeck smears, I feel compelled to set the record straight about my organization and the community members that Wiedenbeck depicts as "extremists."

Being almost completely devoid of facts, Wiedenbeck's article uses emotional pleas and exaggeration. But what about the peaceful, earnest community members who she derides as "fringe activists?" These are mothers, fathers, teachers and small business people who have, until now, had no say to whether or not the oil and gas industry can put our air, water, soil and property values at risk by dangerous drilling practices like fracking.

There are 45,000 fracked wells in Colorado. Increasingly, the oil and gas industry -- with the blessing of Governor Hickenlooper -- is drilling merely a stone's throw from our homes, schools, public parks, rivers and streams.

Fracking and its associated activities threaten our health. Nearly 25 percent of the chemicals used in fracking could cause cancer; 40 to 50 percent could affect the nervous, immune and cardiovascular system; and more than 75 percent could affect the skin, eyes and respiratory system. With these scientifically documented dangers, why is Governor Hickenlooper's state regulatory agency permitting companies like Encana to drill wells next to elementary schools in Erie, where data from a recent NOAA study found levels of propane ten times higher than in Los Angeles?

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Fracking contaminates groundwater. According to an analysis done by the Denver Post of the state's own regulator agency's data, oil and gas has contaminated groundwater over 350 times in the past 5 years. On average, there is more than one spill a day across the state.

It takes 1-5 million gallons of water to frack a well. Each well can be fracked multiple times. Multiply that across the 45,000 wells in Colorado and you get a sense of the sheer volume of water that is being laced with thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals and pumped into the ground. In effect, this water is removed from the hydrological cycle forever. Having just experienced one of our state's most severe droughts, when 62 out of 64 counties were declared in a state of disaster, it seems unconscionable to continue such wanton destruction of our precious water resources.

Fracking drives down property values. There have been reported cases of home values dropping up to 75 percent due to nearby fracking activity. Increasingly, banks are not granting mortgages to property owners whose land carry oil and gas leases.

Sadly, it's not just Wiedenbeck who's obedient to the business objectives of the oil and gas industry --- Governor Hickenlooper is astonishingly out of touch with Coloradans on this issue too. He has refused multiple requests to meet with Coloradans who are concerned about fracking taking place near their homes and children's elementary schools. He has locked citizens out of "public meetings" that he has convened to discuss the issue while gladly keynoting at the oil and gas industry's annual summit, starring in pro-fracking advertisements, and to suing the citizens of Longmont for attempting to protect their health, safety and property from fracking.

Wiedenbeck's attack should be seen for what it is: A desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Coloradans don't want fracking. This was made clear when citizens in Longmont voted overwhelmingly to ban this dangerous, industrial activity next to their homes and schools last November. The vote was a resounding mandate. It was especially notable because the oil and gas industry raised over half-a-million dollars to defeat the measure, including $30,000 from Wiedenbeck's employer.

It's unfortunate that Wiedenbeck finds it necessary to defame Colorado citizens, but it's understandable. It's less understandable -- deplorable actually -- that Governor Hickenlooper continues to dismiss, discredit and even sue mothers, fathers, teachers, farmers, nurses, retirees and business owners in Colorado who do not want fracking next to their homes and schools. These are the voices of reason and common sense.

Sam Schabacker is the Mountain West Region Director for Food and Water Watch.

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